Michael McGuire died Jan. 5 of congestive heart failure, according to friend Lori Cannon. He was 55.
McGuire was a native Chicagoan who attended Amundsen High School. Among his jobs were managing the liquor department at Walgreens; tending bar at Broadway Limited; and working at the Ram bookstore for 18 years.
For the past 10 years, McGuire faithfully and dutifully served low-income men, women and children living with AIDS at the Vital Bridges GroceryLand grocery center on Chicago's North Side.
"Michael was part of that elite corps of volunteers who understood our mission to assist those less fortunate and took great pride in his responsibility to serve. He was a favorite with our clients. We will all miss him," said Lori Cannon, founder of the grocery program.
McGuire is survived by two sisters, Ginnie McGuire-Warner and Patricia Perez;, brother Ed; and his devoted roommate and best friend David Courtin.
As Courtin said, "we were like Lucy and Ethel, with our chocolates, sitting at the conveyer belt waiting for everything to speed up!"
A memorial gathering is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25, at 707 W. Waveland Ave. in the Community Room at 7 p.m.
Contact David Courtin at 773-220-0571.
